Railroad spreader



Sept. 10, 1940. c. w. SHIPLEY RAILROAD SPREADER Filed Oct. 7, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet l Zy/Q,

Sept. 10, 1940.

c. w. SHIPLEY RAILROAD SPREADER 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 7, 1939Patented Sept. 10, 1940 grew RAILROAD SPREADER Calvin W. Shipley,Hammond, Ind., assignor to 0. F. Jordan Company, East Chicago,

corporation of Indiana Ind, a

Application October 7, 1939, Serial N0. 298,384

11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in railroad spreaders and thelike and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. The term railroadspreaders as used herein is intended to include railroad plows for snowand ice.

The spreader with which the present invention is especially concerned isin the form of a railway 0 car adapted to be pushed by a locomotive whenspreading ballast material or when plowing snow, ice and the like. Itincludes a plow at the front end, mounted for movement toward and awayfrom the rails so that the plow may be lowered into working positionwith respect to the rails or raised into a position above the same so asto pass over road crossings, switches, frogs, guard rails and the like.A spreader of this kind when plowing snow and ice is equipped with acoupler, whereby it may be incorporated into a train for transportpurposes and whereby it may be coupled to the end car of a train stalledin a snow bank so that said train may be pulled therefrom.

The plow has a centrally disposed opening for the passage of the shankof the associated coupler therethrough. As the coupler maintains a fixedvertical position but is capable of a lateral swing when the spreader isincorporated in a train and as the plow is capable of being raised andlowered for the purposes before mentioned, it is apparent that saidopening has vertical and horizontal dimensions considerably greater thanthe cross-sectional dimensions of the shank of the coupler passingthrough said opening.

Heretofore such plow openings remained uncovered with the result that inbucking a snow drift, snow would pass through said opening to pack upback of the plow as a tight ice-like mass which prevented the raisingand lowering movement of the plow so that the spreader becameinoperative.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide simple andefficient means in connection with the coupler opening in the plow of aspreader of this kind, which prevents snow, ice and the like frompassing through the opening to pack up as a mass in back of the plow ina manner making it inoperative.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for closing thecoupler opening in the plow that requires no manual manipulation whenthe plow is raised or lowered but which moves relatively to the plowautomatically to keep that part of the opening around the coupler shankclosed so that snow or other material being operated thereon cannot passtherethrough.

Again, it is an object of the invention to provide means of this kind,which include parts that may I be removed to permit a lateral swing ofthe cou- 'pler when the spreader is incorporated in a train taking acurve in track.

A further object of the invention is to provide means of this kind whichis simple in construction, is strong to resist stresses that might causethe same to bind and at the same time may be applied to the plows ofspreaders already in use, as well as incorporated in the plows of newspreaders under construction.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as well as others,together with the advantages thereof, will more fully appear as thespecification proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front end perspective view of a railroad spreader embodyingthe preferred form of the invention and shows the plow in a raisedposition to permit the plow to pass over roadways, switches and the likein track.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and shows the plow in its loweredposition to remove ice from the track below the top of the rails.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in front elevation of a fragment of the plow andparts adjacent the coupler opening therein, on a scale enlarged overthat appearing in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig, 4 is a view in side elevation of parts appearing in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal detail sectional view through a part of the plowand parts adjacent the coupler opening as taken on the line 5-5 of Fig.3.

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of a coupler opening closure plate and apart carried thereby, embodied in the improved railroad spreader.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustratedin the drawings, Ill indicates, as a whole, a railroad spreader caradapted to run on the rails H of a railway track l2. The spreaderincludes a plow it of a V-shape which is so mounted at the front end ofthe car as to be movable toward and away from the rails.

In one operative position of the plow, it is lowered into a position tobring the bottom edge of its shoes Hi into a plane below the head of therails H as when plowing ice, snow and the like, from the track. For thisreason recesses l5 are provided in the bottom margin of the plow toaccommodate the rails, the lowered position appearing in Fig. 2. Ofcourse, with the plow in this position, the plow cannot clear roadcrossings, guards and the like found in the track and therefore, theplow has to be raised into such a position that its bottomedge isdisposed in a plane above the tread of the rails and this positionappears in Fig. 1.

As the mechanism whereby raising and lowering movement is imparted tothe plow forms no particular part of the present invention, it isneither illustrated nor described herein.

As the plow is of the V-type, it includes a central ridge [6 and sides|'|-I1 that diverge laterally and rearwardly from the ridge.

A railroad spreader is often incorporated in a train and is coupled tothe cars thereof as when in transport and the spreader is oftenoperatively connected to the rear car or to the locomotive of a trainthat has been stalled in a snow drift. Therefore, said spreader isprovided at each end with a standard coupler that includes a head 18 anda shank I9, which is rigged to the underframing of the spreader for alimited lateral swing so that the spreader may take curves and switchesin track. As the point of operative connection of the front end couplershank is back of the plow, the coupler shank must necessarily extendthrough the plow. Therefore, the plow is provided on its median linewith a relatively large opening 211, having a vertical dimension greaterthan the length of the travel of the plow and having a horizontaldimension less than the vertical but sufiicient to accommodate thelateral swing of the coupler shank as is necessary. With the openingdisposed in the vertical median line of the plow and which line iscoincident with the ridge, said opening extends laterally from saidridge into the respective sides of the plow as appears in Fig. 1.

At each side of said openings are flanged guides 2| and between saidguides is a cover plate 22 of a length and width somewhat greater thanthat of opening 2!]. An opening 23 is formed in said cover plate throughwhich the shank [9 of the coupler extends, Said opening has a verticalheight approximating the vertical dimension of the coupler shank and hasa horizontal width approximating the distance between opposed edges ofthe guides 2|. With said opening 23 having the relative dimensionsmentioned, the top and bottom edges thereof substantially engage uponthe top and bottom surfaces of that part of the coupler shank extendingtherethrough.

When the plow is raised or lowered, the cover plate which has only alimited vertical movement with respect to the coupler shank, isrelatively movable with respect to the plow because the lateral marginsof said cover plate, which are engaged under the flanges of said guiderails, gvill slide in the engagement with the guides When the spreaderis employed as a snow plow, bucking into high drifts, to prevent snowfrom entering the opening in the cover plate, the following arrangmentis provided:-

24 indicates a substantially U-shaped plate of a width approximating thedistance between said guides 2 |2l and a trifle wider than the opening23 and of a height greater than the height of said opening. In thecentral portion of said plate is a recess 25 of a width approximatingthe width of the coupler shank. This plate is detachably secured to thecover plate by cap screws or bolts 26 and when it is so secured in placethe bottom edge of the recess engages the bottom edge of the couplershank. Thus when said plate is secured in place, the central sideportions thereof close those portions of the opening 23 in the coverplate to each side of the coupler shank. Therefore, no snow can enterthe opening 23 in the cover plate to accumulate back of the plow forforming into a mass that would prevent relative movement between theplow and the cover plate.

The plate 24 may be applied to and removed from the cover plate frombelow the coupler shank and when so applied holds the coupler shankcentrally in place. It is to be understood that this plate is applied tothe cover plate only when plowing snow or when spreading piles ofballast deposited on the track and having a height that extends abovethe coupler head l8.

Assume that heavy snow drifts are to be plowed. The plate 24 is appliedto the cover plate as before described and this not only centers thecoupler shank but closes off both sides of the opening 23 in the coverplate laterally of said shank. With the parts in this condition thecover plate is relatively stationary with the coupler shank which cannow move only in an endwise direction if such movement is necessary.

When the plow is lowered into the operative position shown in Fig. 2,the guides 2l-2| slide with respect to the margins of the cover plate 22which they overlap. As this movement of the plow does not bring thebottom edge of the plow opening 20 below the bottom edge of the coverplate, said opening is maintained closed by the cover plate.

Should a roadway crossing, a switch or the like be approached, the plowis raised into a position wherein its bottom edge is in the positionshown in Fig. 1 so as to clear said crossing or the like. In thisraising movement of the plow, the guides slide upwardly along themargins of the cover plate they overlap but this does not bring the topedge of the opening 20 in the plow into a plane above the top edge ofthe cover plate. As the plate 24 keeps those parts of the opening 23 inthe cover plate at each side of the coupler shank closed and as saidcover plate closes the opening 20 in the plow, no snow can pass throughthe plow to pile up as a hard mass behind the same to interfere with theraising and lowering thereof.

Of course as the plow is pushed into the snow, a pressure is imposedupon the cover plate and this pressure acts to hold the plate tightlyagainst the plow so that snow cannot pass about the exposed edges of thecover plate to enter between the plow and cover plate.

If the spreader is to be placed in between the cars of a train fortransport purpose, the plow is raised as before described so as to clearroadway crossings and the like. The plate 24 is removed afterwithdrawing the screws or bolts 26 after which said plate is moved in adownward direction. This exposes the opening 23 in the cover plate. Thusshould the spreader in transport take a curve or a switch with the othercars of the train, the necessary lateral swing of the coupler isaccommodated because said, opening in the cover plate is considerablywider than the width of that part of the shank passing therethrough.This lateral movement of the coupler shank is indicated in dotted linesin Fig. 5.

The improved construction is indeed simple for low cost production andit functions efficiently for its intended purpose.

While in describing the invention, I have referred in detail to thatembodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the same is tobe considered only in the illustrative sense and therefore, I do notwlsh to be limited thereto except as may be specifically set forth inthe appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a railway car adapted for travel upon the railsof a railway track and having a coupler at one end thereof, a plowmounted on said end of the car for movement toward and away from saidrails and having an opening therein through which the shank of thecoupler extends, and means operatively engaged with the coupler andrelatively movable with respect to the plow for maintaining said openingin the plow closed in the movement of the plow toward and away from saidrails.

2. In combination with a railway car adapted for travel upon the railsof a railway track and having a coupler at one end thereof, a plowmounted on said end of the car for movement toward and away from saidrails and having an opening therein through which the shank of thecoupler extends, and means on the front face of and relatively movablewith respect to the plow and operatively engaged with the coupler formaintaining said opening in the plow closed in the movement of the plowtoward and away from said plow.

3. In combination with a railway car adapted for travel upon the railsof a railway track and having a coupler at one end thereof, a plowmounted on said end of the car for movement toward and away from saidrails and having an opening therein through which the shank of thecoupler extends, guide means carried by the plow, and means mounted insaid guide means for movement relative to said plow and operativelyengaged with the coupler for maintaining said opening in the plow closedin the movement of the plow toward and away from said rails.

4. In combination with a railway car adapted for travel upon the railsof a railway track and having a coupler at one end thereof, a plowmounted on said end of the car for movement toward and away from saidrails and having an opening therein through which the shank of thecoupler extends, guide means on said plow at each side of the openingtherein, and means engaged at its lateral margins in said guide meansfor movement relatively to said plow and operatively engaged with saidcoupler for maintaining said opening in the plow closed in the movementof the plow toward and away from said rails.

5. In combination with a railway car adapted for travel upon the railsof a railway track and having a coupler at one end thereof, a plowmounted on said end of the car for movement toward and away from saidrails and having an opening therein through which the shank of thecoupler extends, means on the front face of the plow at each side of theopening therein providing guides, and means arranged to the front of theplow and having marginal engagement in the guides and operativelyengaged with said coupler for maintaining said opening in the plowclosed in the movement of the plow toward and away from the rails.

6. In combination with a railway car adapted to travel upon the rails ofa railway track and having a coupler at one end thereof, a V-type ofplow having sides that diverge laterally and rearwardly from a centralridge, mounted on said end of the car for movement toward and away fromthe rails, said plow having an opening in said ridge and in portions ofboth of its sides and through which the shank of said coupler extends,guide means arranged on said sides of the plow, and means operativelyengaged with the coupler and slidable insaid guides for maintaining saidopening in the plow closed in the movement of the plow toward and awayfrom said'rails.

'7. In combination with a railway car adapted for travel upon the railsof a railway track and having a coupler at one end thereof, a V-type ofplow having sides that diverge laterally and rearwardly from a centralridge, mounted on said end of the car for movement toward and away fromthe rails, said plow having an opening in said ridge and in portions ofboth of its sides and through which the shank of said coupler extends,guide means arranged on said sides of the plow and a plate-like memberoperatively engaged with said shank and including a central ridge andlateral sides engaged upon said plow with its side margins engaged insaid guides for maintaining the opening in the plow closed in themovement of the plow toward or away from said rails.

8. In combination with a railway car adapted,

to travel upon the rails of a railway track and having a couplerconnected thereto for a lateral swinging movement, a plow mounted onsaid end of the car for movement toward and away from said rails andhaving an opening therein through which the shank of the couplerextends, said opening having vertical and horizontal dimensions greaterthan the cross sectional dimensions of the coupler shank, means movablymounted on said plow and having an opening therein through which thecoupler shank extends for closing said opening-in the plow in themovement thereof toward and away from the rails, said last mentionedmeans including removable parts for defining the effective width of saidopening therein, said parts when removed from said means permitting thecoupler shank to swing laterally in the opening in the plow as the cartravels over a curve in said track.

9. In combination with a plow of a railroad. spreader having an openingtherein'for the passage of a coupler shank therethrough, means capableof a guided movement vertically of said plow and having a smalleropening for the passage of said coupler shank therethrough, and meansfor modifying the size of said last mentioned opening laterally.

10. In combination with the plow of a railroad spreader having anopening therein for the passage of a coupler shank therethrough andhaving vertical and horizontal dimensions greater than the crosssectional dimensions of the coupler shank, means capable of a guidedmovement vertically of said plow and having an opening for the passageof the coupler shank therethrough,

said last mentioned opening having a vertical dimension approximatingthe like dimension of the coupler shank and having a horizontaldimension greater than the like dimension of the coupler shank, andmeans removably secured to said first mentioned means for reducing theeffective horizontal dimension of the opening thereof to oneapproximating the like dimension of the coupler shank.

11. In combination with the plow of a railroad spreader having anopening therein for the passage of a coupler shank therethrough andhaving vertical and horizontal dimensions greater than the crosssectional dimensions of the coupler shank, means capable of a guidedmovement detachably secured to said first mentioned means to close sideportions of the opening therein to reduce the effective horizontaldimension thereof to one approximating the like dimension of the couplershank.

CALVIN W. SHIPLEY.

